


Bad Things

by flickawhip



Category: Downton Abbey, Heartbeat (UK TV), Home Fires (UK TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-12 00:26:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7076941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flickawhip/pseuds/flickawhip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A vampire collects her family. </p><p>Pretty much written thanks to a prompt on LJ... and a plot bunny I'd had lying around. </p><p>AU for all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Moorsum Girl

She knows, the second the woman collapses, they have been stood, saying nothing, for long enough. The air had seemed to leave the room the second they laid eyes on one another. The woman had seemed to collapse instantly and Helena had cursed under her breath. Vampires were allowed precisely three people in a lifetime, and, since the lifetime could be… forever… she had to be careful. 

She had moved normally, ignoring other people’s glances, kneeling to check the woman, noting the woman’s friends were fussing and she sighed softly. 

“She should be fine, leave her with me.”

Once the rest had left she had looked at the girl again, she had seen the girl’s slim frame and delicate looks instantly, the faint flush on her cheeks. The woman’s eyes were closed but Helena had noted they were an ice blue and captivating. The woman’s son was local, she knew that, but she wanted to be sure the woman survived. She had found herself breathless, a sensation that tended to mean, for a vampire, she needed to save the woman. Jane had stirred at her touch as she pushed chocolate brown hair out of her face, her breath faltering. There was something wrong and, as realization hit, Helena cursed again, dipping her head to try to catch the woman’s breathing. Nothing. The lightest of touches told her the woman’s heart was failing. 

“What happened to you…”

The words were murmured even as Helena’s fangs descended, her sigh soft even as she bit, draining the woman and feeding her as carefully as possible, hating herself as she felt the woman’s body go limp. She knew she would be watched closely from now on.


	2. The Farmer's Wife

The air stilled a second time for Helena when she laid eyes on the farmer’s wife, watching her carefully. She bore more than a passing resemblance to Jane, clearly a descendant of Jane’s son. Again she would be leaving the woman’s son. She could feel guilt, and the shadows seemed to draw closer as she watched the woman working. 

The man, her husband, left for war not once but twice, the woman, stubborn as Jane but not quite as delicate or fearful, seemed to collapse once, before she could move her friend had found her. Then her husband was gone and the woman buried herself in work. The second collapse came at night, the woman alone, her son sleeping as she worked. 

Helena had hesitated, then, when the woman’s breathing fell away completely, moved closer. Her own thoughts stilled as she felt the woman’s heart stop. She could have left her, should have left her, but she couldn’t leave. 

“Forgive me… Jane.”

The words were murmured but Helena had to follow her heart, troubled as it was. Her touch was light against Steph’s wrist, raising it to her lips, kissing the pulse point lightly, praying it worked. Nothing happened and Helena cursed again. 

“What is it with this family?”

She had given herself over to the vampire side of her then, turning the woman as hers. Two wives, who would forever seem to be sisters. She had one last choice. She could only hope that her last one would not be the same sort of choice, watching a woman fade from life with no other choices but to save her.


	3. Choices

She knew, the second the woman had fallen that she was dying, fast. The man had thought she was dead, that much was clear, but, as was often the case, human sight had let him down. He had left her with a police guard to finish the arrests, thinking it would not matter. The guard, thankfully, had been busy radioing in to his friends at the station. The air had seemed oddly thin, and she had known, instantly, this was her last choice. 

The woman looked innocent, delicate and she was sorely reminded of Jane. Hatred of the man who had left her had flooded through her and Helena had let her darker side come through, ignoring every doubt to steal the woman away. 

“You have got to be joking…”

Two sets of ice blue eyes and yet Helena had had no choice. 

“She’s not staying… is she?”

Helena had sighed then, turning to look at them both, her eyes bright with angry confusion. 

“He left her there… I had no choice.”

“You always had choices Helena.”

Helena’s eyes had darkened then. 

“You could never understand, either of you…”

“Who is she?”

“She’s… family. Of yours at least.”

“Where is she then?”

“Where the hell do you think?”

Helena half-snapped, then sighed. 

“Look, just… give her a chance.”

After the night had passed, and the woman rose at last, Helena had done what was needed, taking the women away, her guard heightened by the delicate way her last girl had moved. They would make a family now, the four of them. 

Jane had seemed oddly quiet, withdrawn even and Helena had sighed softly. 

“Look, Jane… I had no real choice, I couldn’t leave her…”

Her gaze had softened noticeably as she let Steph catch up to them, noting the easy way Jane’s hand linked with Steph’s. 

“How is she?”

“Scared.”

Steph had sighed. 

“You know he waited until… the end… to tell her he loved her.”

“Men.”

The sigh was obvious even as Helena dropped back, slipping an arm around Tricia, noting the slight hint of tears. 

“You alright?”

“I don’t understand… why… why me?”

“Why not you?”

“Steph and Jane… why… why did you want me too?”

Helena sighed, then spoke softly. 

“What can I say, I have a thing for… delicate… girls.”

“Then why Steph?”

“She pretends she’s tougher than she is… you’ll learn that soon enough.”

Helena smiled as she added. 

“Besides, I had three chances, three choices… why not keep the family of my dearest friend close.”


End file.
